Board of Regents

August 21, 2009

Minutes of the Meeting of August 21, 2009

The August 21, 2009 meeting of the Texas Woman’s University Board of Regents was called to order at the appointed time and place by Mr. Harry Crumpacker, Board Chair and Presiding Officer. Present were Mr. Crumpacker, Mrs. Sue Bancroft, Ms. Lola Chriss, Mr. Mike McCullough, Ms. Rae Lynn McFarlin, Dr. Ann Scanlon McGinity, Dr. Cecilia Moreno, and Mr. George Schrader, constituting a quorum.

There was no executive session.

The Board considered approval of the minutes of the Board meeting of June 5, 2009. Upon motion by Dr. Moreno and second by Mrs. Bancroft, these minutes were unanimously approved. Mr. Crumpacker noted that no registrations of public testimony items were received for this Board meeting.

Mr. Crumpacker called for consideration of the Finance and Audit Committee items. Mr. McCullough made a motion for approval of the personnel report (Exhibit 2056), the acceptance of grants (Exhibit 2057), and the contracts and agreements (Exhibit 2058). The motion was seconded by Mrs. Bancroft and unanimously approved. After motion by Mrs. Bancroft and second by Mr. McCullough, the Board voted unanimously to approve the FY 2010 Budget as presented to the Finance and Audit Committee of the Board of Regents on Friday, August 14, 2009 (Exhibit 2059). Mr. Crumpacker noted that this is the first year in the budget process where the University will be moving toward full compliance with the cost-based Instruction and Operations Formula funding and complimented Dr. Brenda Floyd, Vice President for Finance and Administration, and her staff for doing an exceptional job in reformulating the budget. He added that he is proud of the University’s fairly rigorous recruiting program, which has been quite successful for some years, and stated that it occurred to some Regents that efforts and funding should continue with the recruitment of students, but that it should also be broadened to include the promotion of TWU’s image. Mr. Crumpacker then asked Chancellor Ann Stuart, on behalf of the Regents, to report in November on a broadening image promotion of the University. Next, a motion was made by Mrs. Bancroft and seconded by Dr. Scanlon McGinity to distribute an amount equal to four (4) percent of the University Endowment Corpus, which is approximately $374,000, to the TWU Endowment Distribution Accounts, this money to come from Board Designated Tuition. All voted in favor. Mrs. Bancroft made a motion to increase the contract with HKS and Associates by $362,000 for a total of $3,662,000 for the design a 600-parking-space garage capable of supporting future expansion at the TWU T. Boone Pickens Institute of Health Sciences-Dallas Center, which motion was seconded by Dr. Moreno and unanimously approved. A motion was made by Mr. McCullough to request the Texas Higher Education Coordinating Board to approve the construction of a new Fitness and Recreation Building at the Denton Campus in an amount of $17.5 million, which was seconded by Mrs. Bancroft, and all voted in favor. After motion by Mrs. Bancroft and second by Dr. Scanlon McGinity, the Board voted unanimously to sell Revenue Financing System Bonds in the amount of $17.5 million for a new Fitness and Recreation Building at the Denton Campus, debt service for these bonds to be funded from the Recreation Fee for a period of twenty (20) years. A motion was made by Mr. McCullough and seconded by Mr. Schrader for approval of the Red Flag Policy (relating to Identity theft) as required by recent federal regulations (Exhibit 2060). All voted in favor. Next, Mrs. Bancroft made a motion to purchase the property at 1119 Frame Street, Denton, Texas for $101,250, this being within the Master Plan Area for the Denton Campus and funds to purchase this property to come from Designated Tuition Fund Balance. The motion was seconded by Dr. Moreno and unanimously approved. A motion was made by Dr. Moreno and seconded by Mrs. Bancroft to approve the FY 2010 Annual Audit Plan of the Internal Audit Department (Exhibit 2061). All voted in favor.

Mr. Crumpacker then called for consideration of the Institutional Development Committee items. Mr. McCullough made a motion, seconded by Dr. Scanlon McGinity, for acceptance of the gifts to TWU (Exhibit 2062). All voted in favor.

Next, Mr. Crumpacker called for Academic Affairs Committee items. The first item was for a new Differential Tuition of $25 per semester credit hour for undergraduate and graduate Nursing courses, to be effective Fall 2010. Dr. Moreno made a motion for approval of a new Differential Tuition of $25 per semester credit hour for undergraduate and graduate Nursing courses (Exhibit 2063). The motion was seconded by Mrs. Bancroft and unanimously approved. Next was consideration of an increase in Board Authorized Tuition for graduate courses from $40 per semester credit hour to $45 per semester credit hour, to be effective Fall 2010. A motion was made by Mrs. Bancroft and seconded by Dr. Scanlon McGinity for approval of an increase in Board Authorized Tuition for graduate courses from $40 per semester credit hour to $45 per semester credit hour (Exhibit 2064). All voted in favor. Mr. McCullough made a motion for approval of a Library Fee of $9 per semester credit hour to replace the current flat fee of $50 per student per semester (Exhibit 2065), which motion was seconded by Dr. Moreno and unanimously approved. This fee is to be effective Fall 2010.

Mr. Crumpacker then called for consideration of the Information Services Committee items. Mr. Schrader made a motion, seconded by Mr. McCullough, to transfer Technology Fees from Fund Balance to Technology and Information Services for classroom technology equipment replacements (Exhibit 2066). All voted in favor.

Mr. Crumpacker called for consideration of Student Life Committee items. Mr. Schrader made a motion to authorize the expenditure of up to twenty (20) percent of the Student Service Fee Fund Balance Reserve annually through a Student Life Operating Reserve Account (Exhibit 2067), which motion was seconded by Mrs. Bancroft and unanimously approved.

In the report from the Chancellor and President, Dr. Stuart thanked the Regents for attending. She referred to Exhibit 23, entitled Selected List of 2009 – 2010 Activities to be led by Chancellor and commented that these activities are all related to enrollment and/or retention or to strengthening the University as it relates to reputation and mission.

Next, Dr. Stuart recognized Maj. Gen. Mary Saunders, Ret. USAF, Executive Director of the TWU Leadership Institute, and announced that Ms. Saunders is one of only 30 women from across the United States selected to be a member of the Leadership America Class of 2009. Ms. Saunders gave the Regents a brief history of Leadership America and described the organization’s goals, which recognize and bring together women who have achieved success in their professions, their communities, and beyond and equips them with the latest information on and innovations in the economy, technology, and global trade. She stated that she is proud to represent TWU in Leadership America and that she expects to bring back a knowledge base and tools to be a more effective leader for the University and to see how this information affects the University.

Dr. Stuart then complimented the faculty and staff on the budget process, stating that it was a collaborative and very successful effort.

In conclusion, Dr. Stuart circulated the D Magazine’s The Best of Big D edition, which featured Ms. Sunny Jacquet, a graduate of TWU, as one of the up-and-coming artist in Dallas. She also circulated the Public Purpose Magazine, published by the American Association of State Colleges and Universities, that featured an article on the challenges associated with preservation of historical buildings and that included a picture of the Old Main Building on the TWU Denton Campus. She recognized Ms. Carolyn Barnes, Associate Vice President for Marketing and Communications, and Facilities Management in this effort. Dr. Stuart informed the Regents that, as they have heard today, students, faculty, and staff are recognized for their awards and achievements in an effort to demonstrate that we are raising the profile of the University locally, statewide, nationally, and internationally. She then reminded the Regents of Governor Rick Perry’s press conference next week and stated that further details would be sent to them. Dr. Stuart invited the Regents to tour the exterior of the TWU Science Building and the site of the new Fitness and Recreation Center on Bell Avenue and to view the signage in recognition of our former Regent, Dr. Lou Halsell Rodenberger, at the Mary Evelyn Blagg Huey Library. She concluded by stating that the TWU Flute Choir will perform at the Library, adding that the Flute Choir just returned from performing in New York City.